Reflections on distinctive voices and one-of-a-kind deliveries... Can I reproduce them? How about some original characters? Read on for updates on new developments and availability to help you recreate the voices in your head.

Pages

Friday, August 31, 2012

Friday, February 24, 2012

I cannot thank my voice coach and dear friend Joanne Joella enough for all her guidance, support, and encouragement over the past eight years or so. Joella Arts has gone through many changes over the years, but it has recently risen, phoenix-style, to its finest incarnation. Joanne and some other wonderful professionals are offering voice classes at a wonderful new creative space in the Sherman Mills neighborhood of Philadelphia. I'll let Joanne tell you about it:

I have been able to open a mini-JoellaArts. Instead of the three-story Shovel Shop, I have one delightful studio at Sherman Mills Arts Community in East Falls right off Ridge Avenue on Scotts Lane. Here is the web site if you'd like to get a general idea of what Sherman Mills is all about. Please click www.shermanmills.com.

Joanne has enlisted the help of trained professionals Bill Deal, Victor Rodriguez and Krissy Johnson to propel singers to the next level of performance excellence. Please contact Joella Arts if you are a singer on the cusp of "killing it!" Check out the news for yourself by checking out the linkHERE.

In association with Adrienne Covington's Overbrook Casting, Joella Arts also offers acting workshops that focus on breathing technique and being "in the moment" during a read... I recommend Joanne's expertise to ANYONE who can make good use of positive ENERGY, honest FEEDBACK, and generous SUPPORT. For a schedule and description of these classes available through Overbrook Casting, clickHERE.

Thanks for everything, Joanne! Please check out the services offered by Joanne and her industry colleagues. Trust them to share their real experiences with their students in a truly giving environment. At Joella Arts, the passion for performance is matched only by the passion to share the secrets of success. Trust me, I know first hand.

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

I have wrapped up filming on my first short film, "The Traveler," by Nachshon Windsor. I really couldn't have asked for a cooler bunch of people or a more fun introduction to film acting. We did stunts, acted against some special effects, and died in violent ways. I actually got smashed in the face with a hockey stick. Sweet. Pretty much everyone dies in this film. In fact, even the people who survive die at some point during the story. Yes, it's a bleak tale, but the characters are pretty rich and I hope there will be a feature-length project in the works--I'd love to be a part of that production. Hint, hint...

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

I suppose you've been wondering what I've been up to... or maybe not. Well, I'll tell you:

I've earned parts in two films over the past few months, one of which is being filmed in and around Rowan University. That project is called "A Prince Among Pawns." Rehearsals have been going well, and we're supposed to start shooting very soon. We hope to have a trailer finished by April that will tease the project in anticipation of its completion and submission to the Philly Film Festival. It may not be up and running for almost a year, but since it's a smaller budget (yet feature length) we have to do what we can when we can. I'm excited for it, since we have actors with some chops who can light up the dialogue and give life to some of the fun conversations in the script. Ellis Minatee has written the screenplay, and Laura del Guercio is the main director. My man Henry appears to be a veritable gift to the project and will undoubtedly get this thing on the road to Donesville.

The second film is a short feature that is slated to be shown at film festivals across the country pretty darn soon. The project is called "The Traveler." A post-apocalyptic Earth has some serious issues with a devastating neuro-toxin. Travelers can transport themselves via a super-duper astral projection process, and the bad guys (of which I am one) are trying to kill the good guys. My part is pretty small, but I get to "travel" and even get killed in the end. I was thinking that the short (about 30 minutes) may simply be a showcase for the director's skill in an attempt to attract bigger projects. One of the other actors told me that it may instead be a showcase for the script--an extended sizzle trailer of sorts--with hopes of a feature length film being produced in the future. I was thinking that if the producers could find another short sci-fi film in the works, they could share a dvd release and make a few bucks. Either way, I'm excited to be a part of it! Rehearsal this week and filming next week at Eastern State Penitentiary. Cool.

Since I've scored parts in two films, I figured I'd update my resume. I also figured I'd attempt to share it here on the blog. Let's give it a shot:

Anyway, I have some other stuff going on, but I will have to wait until it works itself out before I run through the details. Never thought I would be headed in this direction, but I'm gonna ride the wave. Look, life is pretty darn short and if you can't take a little bit of an adventure, it's going to be a boring trip to the box.

Keep in touch with the voices in your own head. Let me know what they say.

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

The clockwork whirs and the springs go boing! and life moves along with a stubborn persistence. So trying to maintain a bunch of web presences is a bit tricky, but I've updated some other stuff in order that I could update this. Check out my other pages, "Other Recordings" and "Links" to see what I've been up to...

I finally got moving and figured out how to use some of the acting resources on the web, where my professional resume is available for people seeking actors and voice over artists. These are now available to my more casual readers, who can pretty much see and hear what I've done right here on this site.

But what work have I done lately? My amazing coach Joanne Joella had advised me to get involved in some film shoots, be they small/extra roles in a good-sized project or more substantial parts in smaller features (like student films and such)... So I have.

DON'T STOP READING...THERE'S A FUNNY COMIC STRIP COMING UP...

Craigslist provided me with an opportunity to audition for a feature-length film that is being produced out of Rowan University. I read for one part, but the writer/producer called me back to read for another part, which I landed! I'm really excited about the project, and it MAY just be submitted to the Philly Film Festival this year or the following year. The role is pretty tasty, I must admit, and we should all keep our fingers crossed in hopes that the production goes off without a hitch. Ya never know, I may appear on the big screen someday!

Aside from the Rowan project (I'll keep you updated as to the title and other details when filming actually begins.), I have also landed auditions in two other films that have been written but I'm not sure how much other backing they may have. One is a firefighter hangout film, and the other is a mysterious short film with a post-apocalyptic flavor called, "The Traveler." I haven't read for these projects yet, but I am looking forward to earning roles in them. I can get some practice taking direction and delving deep into a character, which will inform any future acting gigs as well as really crank up my voice over skills!

ALMOST THERE...

Whenever I get frustrated because I'm not yet making money living my dream, I think, "Hey! I'm living my dream!" In fact, I've found a supplemental dream: acting. I figured I could do voice over work, but never gave acting any thought at all, I just didn't think it was for me. Besides, I didn't get involved in any kind of acting or theater or whatever when I was in school, so I couldn't start now, could I? Sometimes you're handed something that you didn't ask for and make the best of it. Isn't there a proverb about that?

I was originally shown this comic by Paul Kessler, fellow Zahm Hall resident back in the late 90s, but I found it online HERE. It is clearly a Max Cannon work. I've been waiting for about 15 years to share this comic with the rest of the world. Thanks, Paul.

So stay tuned for new updates regarding the rehearsals and filming of my current project, as well as the fate of my pride as seen in the light of auditioning for new projects as well. Thanks for listening. May the voices in your head speak with clear diction.